Perhaps some characters and ideas just lose their luster to people who went and saw the first film, but only wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Sequels always have the historical burden of trying to better their predecessors while also making sure they deliver good film quality and story without going overboard. Filmmakers will always get the fanboys and others who have followed along with comic books or video games or whatever they are basing their pictures on. It simply astounds me though when the first film in a franchise can blow the box office away, produce a very good if not better sequel, and then fail to bring in the same audiences. Such is the case with our big red friend.
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is a demonic creature that obviously represents the devil with his red-colored skin and two spots on his head where horns used to sit. He stands for all that is good, and along with his water-loving friend Abe Sapien and his hellfire girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), they help keep humans safe from things that are otherworldly. But they have to stay out of sight. That doesn’t always prove easy with Hellboy’s odd appearance and his constant pushing of authority. Things are about to be made much more difficult as one of the storybook tales Hellboy heard as a child is about to come true. And it’s not going to be an ending that is happily ever after.
Prince Nuada of the troll kingdom has resurfaced and wants his people to rise back to prominence, since the humans have destroyed and wasted Earth. The Prince no longer wishes for the pact between his father and the humans to hold steadfast and wants to take back what belongs to all of his people. With this wish, Prince Nuada kills his father (the King) and aims to take control of the horrible and indestructible Golden Army that could spell doom for all of mankind. The BPRD organization already has its hands full with this new threat to humanity, but things are made even more complicated by the things plaguing Hellboy himself. Not only is he annoyed by the way the public has treated him after being thrust into their eyes, but he also is dealing with his shaky relationship with Liz. Oh, and let’s not forget his newest superior that has been sent to keep an eye on him, Johann Krauss (a gaseous being held tight in a mechanical suit). All this comes to a halt though when the Golden Army resurfaces and the fate of all humanity lies in one big, red hand.
My, my, my, there is a lot going on in this film that I happen to love. Hellboy is one of those characters that I knew very little about going into theatres back in 2004. Let me just say that he caught my attention big time and I’ve been anxiously looking forward to this second film. Both the big guy and Guillermo del Toro did not disappoint on any level. In some ways this film is actually better then the first one. Starting with the story, because it is one of the best things about The Golden Army, it stands out the most. The film jumps right into it from the very beginning giving a short background on Hellboy and showing us the moment he first heard about King Balor and his Golden Army. And that short introduction gives the plot so much sustenance because it actually comes from somewhere. It’s not like so many other films where someone shows up randomly and then a passing conversation between the good guys gives us their whole background in thirty seconds. Wonderful job by del Toro right to give his story meaning.
The characters are the next best thing, mainly because you fell in love with most of them from the first film. You don’t have to have seen Hellboy to understand the story of The Golden Army, but it will help some since there is no real background or introduction given to characters like Liz, Hellboy, Abe, or the BPRD. Because they have already been introduced to those have already seen the 2004 feature, the sequel sees advancements in their relationships that come to a head. So this develop could be lost on those looking to jump in and watch the sequel. A fun addition to the group is Johann Krauss who plays a much bigger part then I alluded to in my summary of the film. He comes right in as the new boss for BPRD and fits right in as a teammate and antagonist. His little quirks and clever way of solving problems (with his gaseous body) just fits right in as is he’s always been there. It’s just an awesome set-up that goes off without a hitch.
Oh, and let’s not forget the tons of other characters in the film from the villains, the armies, and the random guys just standing around BPRD headquarters and the Troll Market. Del Toro loves his freaky creatures and that is evident here as some of these things are just totally out of this world. And for those of you that are fans of del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, keep an eye out for creatures and monsters from that film popping up from time to time in The Golden Army. It was fun trying to spot them when watching it a second time through.
The Golden Army isn’t perfect, but it comes awfully close to being better than its predecessor. The storytelling is much better and being able to totally move past background information and not needing to spend time on introductions made way for bring Prince Nuada and his villainous followers to the forefront right away. The humor is ample, because Hellboy just wouldn’t be himself without cracking some jokes or bring completely oblivious to the stupid things he’s doing. A cute little interaction over the two-way radios at the beginning of the film is quite funny and a nice way of showing how his relationship with Liz currently. The Golden Army is a fun film that follows up Hellboy perfectly and did a great job of keeping the picture perfect cast together because those characters just wouldn’t be the same with others playing them.
The film is shown in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and it is a gorgeous film from top to bottom with great visuals and wonderful colors. All bright colors are perfect in tone and the darker hues come through great without taking on too much of a purple tint or being too black. One of the biggest components of the film where you can see how good the colors are is when looking at the different characters. They each contrast so much in color that they needed to stand out, and they do beautifully.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and my God there is a lot going on in this film to listen to and it all comes through perfectly. All dialogue comes through loud and clear; while the music and awesome sound effects blast around the room making the viewing experience even better.
Audio Commentaries – Guillermo del Toro sits by himself for the first commentary track and solo commentaries aren’t my favorite and matters are made worse by his incorrigible voice. Del Toro actually says a few humorous things right off the bat as he says his voice is very bad to listen to, but oddly enough I didn’t find it as awful as expected. He gives an incredible amount of insight while speaking almost throughout the entire duration of the film. Some of the little tidbits you’ll learn while watching the film through and listening to del Toro will surely surprise you and make you want to watch it again and again to catch them all on your own. This is an excellent track.
The second track consists of actors Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, and Luke Goss and let me just say that del Toro’s track is one hundred times better. This group talks mostly about what is happening on screen and not much else.
Digital Copy – The third disc in this collection is actually only a digital copy that you can use to place the film on any type of computer or portable device.
Set Visits – This is a wonderful behind-the-scenes look that takes you on a number of the sets used throughout the film. Some hidden camera looks make you feel as if you’re right there among everyone going through all the things happening day by day. This feature runs a little over seventeen minutes.
Troll Market Tour – One of the scenes in the film takes place in the Troll Market and here we get to walk through it with del Toro himself. The twelve and a half minute tour goes throughout the entire marketplace and you can listen to del Toro as he reveals information and trivia about particular places and characters.
Zinco Epilogue – Here is a five minute and fifteen second virtual comic book that adds to the story of Hellboy.
Production Workshop – This is a short three and a half minute storyboard sequence comparison to the opening of the film that depicts he birth of the Golden Army. It can be viewed with or without an introduction from del Toro.
Pre-Production Vault – Del Toro narrates his diary here revealing how he came up with a lot of the ideas for the film and going through different art galleries with backgrounds, characters, and more. It’s a fun look at a lot of the ideas del Toro went through en route to his final decisions.
Deleted Scenes – These scenes are nothing really important to the film and didn’t cause any change in story by being left out. They can all be viewed with optional commentary by del Toro.
Hellboy: In Service Of The Demon – Here we have the bulk of the special features because not only does it deliver tons of information but it is over two and a half hours in length. It’s a making of, a documentary, a director’s diary, and so much more thrown in together. Pre-production and actual filming is shown as we get to follow along with del Toro as he directs the actors, shoots different scenes, and does everything that comes along with making a film. There is just so much given forth here that it is hard to describe it all, but its well worth checking out when you get enough time.
Marketing Campaign – This is a look at some of the designs and posters that didn’t make it out for the public to see.
Screenplay – By popping the disc into your DVD-ROM drive, you can take a look at the screenplay.
Extras – This big set comes with a few extras that aren’t on any disc, but are still cool to have. The first is a one of a kind, limited edition statue of a soldier from the Golden Army. Next up is a limited edition mini-poster for Hellboy II. The third is a cool production journal from Guillermo del Toro that has notes and drawings in it.
Trailers – Wanted: Weapons Of Fate (video game), Knight Rider: The Series (Remake), Slap Shot 3: The Junior League, The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor, and The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior
The Golden Army isn’t the greatest comic film out there, but it does an excellent job of not falling into the slump that most franchises do when pumping out a sequel. If anything, The Golden Army is the better Hellboy film so far and I think that’s saying a lot because of much I liked the first one. Sadly this may end up being the last film in the franchise because of such lackluster numbers at the box office and del Toro’s hectic schedule (ahem, The Hobbit) could deter him from making another one. With a great story and some fun characters, The Golden Army is a great way to spend two hours. And if you go far enough to pick up this deluxe set then you’ll get hours of special features along with some cool collectibles as well. All of the special features are well worth watching and will provide you with an almost entire weekend of entertainment. Those of you that like cool extras as well will enjoy the awesome production book included in this set as well as the awesome Golden Army soldier. If you’re going to pick up a copy of this film then I suggest going with this one because it’s well worth the few extra bucks.
Oh, and for those of you who went and saw the first film in theatres but not this one, do yourself a favor and go buy a copy of the DVD. You’ll also do us all a favor by spiking the DVD sales to show del Toro that we all want and need a third Hellboy.
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Universal Studios presents Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Collector’s Set). Directed by: Guillermo del Toro. Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, James Dodd, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Seth MacFarlane. Written by: Guillermo del Toro. Running time: 120 minutes on 3 discs. Rating: PG-13. Released on DVD: November 11, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
